The youth leader of the Makoko waterfront community, Mr. Oluwatobi Aide, has been released after spending three days in detention, following growing public outrage and legal intervention.
Aide regained his freedom at about 7:03pm on Wednesday after renowned human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), stepped in amid mounting pressure from activists and community members.
He was arrested and detained by operatives of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS), a move that immediately sparked condemnation from residents and civil rights groups, who described the action as an attempt to silence community voices.
Supporters of the youth leader alleged that his arrest was aimed at intimidating Makoko residents at a time of heightened tension over control of the waterfront area and the ongoing demolition of homes.
Activists linked Aide’s detention to what they described as a broader pattern of state actions against informal waterfront settlements, citing past forced evictions and land seizures in areas such as Ajegunle and Oworoshoki.
Earlier on Wednesday, Standarddailypress reported that Aide had been arraigned before a Lagos State mobile court on charges of conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace. He was reportedly arrested during protests against the continued demolition of houses in the community.
Sources disclosed that he was taken to the mobile court sitting at the Lagos State Taskforce office in Oshodi, where he was expected to face formal charges.
The allegations against him were described by sources as “false and politically motivated,” with accusations that the Lagos State Government was criminalising dissent and peaceful protest.
“Oluwatobi Aide was brought before the mobile court on trumped-up charges simply because he protested the illegal demolition of poor people’s homes in Makoko by the Governor Sanwo-Olu-led Lagos State government,” a source said.
SaharaReporters also reported that the Lagos State Police Command had concluded plans to arraign him on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, following his arrest by RRS operatives. Sources said the prosecution was authorised by the Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh.
Aide was arrested on Sunday, January 11, during protests by residents who accused the government of extending demolition activities beyond an agreed 30-metre setback from an electricity installation in the area.
“He was arrested simply for speaking up and questioning why the demolition went beyond what was earlier agreed with the community,” a source said, adding that he had since been treated “like a criminal.”
Concerns were also raised about Aide’s health while in detention. According to sources, he had been hospitalised two weeks earlier after allegedly inhaling teargas fired into the community during previous demolition exercises.
On Monday night, his condition reportedly worsened while in police custody at Area F Police Division in Ikeja, where he suffered severe reactions linked to mosquito bites and poor detention conditions.
“He was rushed to the hospital by RRS operatives after his health deteriorated,” a source revealed. “Shockingly, the police initially insisted that he should pay for his treatment.”
Following pressure from activists, the police were said to have covered the medical bills before returning him to detention.
Tensions reportedly escalated on Tuesday when an RRS commander allegedly accused Aide of faking illness and demanded that he apologise to the Lagos State Government and sign an undertaking never to protest again.
“When he refused, they insisted he would be charged in court to serve as a warning to others,” the source added.
Meanwhile, several civil society organisations have condemned both the demolition exercise in Makoko and the prosecution of the community youth leader, calling for an end to what they described as intimidation of vulnerable communities and the suppression of lawful protest.
